Issue #202 / Sep 2017

If you work from a laptop or other portable device, extending the time between charges is a great way to improve your productivity. The Linux environment includes several utilities that will help you configure and monitor the system’s power consumption settings. This month we focus on tools for power management. Also inside:

Amahi – this hearty home server system lets you turn your old computer into a file server, streaming server, or network backup target.

JavaScript Alternatives – If you like JavaScript but you’re looking for a language with fewer issues, try CoffeeScript, Dart, Elm, or TrueScript.

Welcome

A recent article in several popular news sources recounts the story of a security robot at The Washington Harbour commercial district, affectionately called Steve, that drove itself into a water fountain. The water feature is at the bottom of a few short steps that start at floor level – without a planter or bench to serve as a casual barricade. The poor little robot was just rolling along, watching things, and the floor dropped out from under it.

Set up a multipurpose home server

CoffeeScript, Dart, Elm, and TypeScript

JavaScript is the stuff of which many interactive web clients is made, but it comes with a fair amount of historical ballast. The creators of four alternative scripting languages seek to ditch the ballast.

Reading driving data via the on-board diagnostic port

A connector plugged into the diagnostic port of Mike Schilli's cars sends current information such as speed, acceleration, and fuel economy via the mobile phone network to a cloud service. An app and a programmable API read out the data and provide stunning visualizations.